Minato Namikaze's pupils contracted. He suddenly stopped dodging and lunged half a step toward his opponent's fist, gathering a sphere of swirling pale blue Chakra in his palm. It was his only finishing move: the Rasengan!
"Youth means charging forward without hesitation!"
A note of approval flashed in Might Duy's eyes. He didn't pull back his fist—instead, he put even more force behind it.
In the end, the match reached its conclusion, but Minato Namikaze's Rasengan never landed on Might Duy.
Thud—!
A muffled crash rang out as Minato Namikaze's hand was slammed hard against the ground.
The Rasengan's Chakra erupted in an instant, blasting a crater about half a foot deep into the ground as rocks and dust scattered in every direction.
"Hahaha! What a rush! What a rush!" Might Duy laughed first. His chest ached faintly, but the fire in his eyes burned even brighter. "You little Minato, I won! If you hadn't rushed to attack, and had waited until my Eight Inner Gates wore off, you might have won!"
As he spoke, Might Duy swayed. The effects of the Three Inner Gates had clearly ended, and fatigue was beginning to set in.
Minato Namikaze slowly pulled his hand from the crater. The Chakra in his palm had already dissipated.
He gasped for breath, his blond bangs damp with sweat and plastered to his smooth forehead. Yet a relieved smile crossed his face, without a hint of disappointment. "Duy, if I won by dragging things out, I don't think I could forgive myself. It would have sullied your youth and dishonored this match."
His words were sincere and firm, and everyone below the stage couldn't help but nod to themselves.
There were no losers in this match—only the ultimate expression of youth and combat.
Bai Lin stepped onto the stage. His gaze swept over their tired but still fiery faces as he announced, "The winner of the second round is the defender, Might Duy! Might Duy remains the defender!"
As soon as he finished speaking, enthusiastic applause erupted from below the stage.
Kushina rose onto her toes, waving her fists excitedly as she shouted, "Nice work, girly boy!"
She had complained earlier that Minato Namikaze had learned the Rasengan Bai Lin taught him. But after seeing the level the two had displayed on the stage, she had a point of comparison—and felt more confident in her own abilities.
They were both from the same class at the Ninja Academy. If Minato Namikaze could do it, there was no reason she couldn't. Both of them knew the Rasengan Bai Lin had taught them.
Standing among the crowd, Uchiha Mikoto gave a gentle nod. Her warm eyes held clear admiration. "Minato's battle sense and perseverance are both admirable. Might Duy's Taijutsu and convictions are just as worthy of respect."
Unlike Kushina, who saw only the surface-level outcome, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Uchiha Mikoto had all spotted the astonishing potential in Minato Namikaze.
Jiraiya folded his arms, looking a little proud. "Tsunade, did you see that? His reflexes can almost keep pace with Might Duy after he opened the Third Gate."
"If his physical strength weren't a little lacking, and he had more combat experience, the outcome of this match would still be uncertain. Given time, he'll surely become one of Konoha's pillars."
At that, he couldn't help lifting his chin, his voice full of smugness. "My student will absolutely grow into an outstanding shinobi. He's the child of destiny I've chosen!"
Tsunade was still treating Nawaki. Seeing Minato Namikaze lose, she couldn't help remarking, "My student is just as good as yours, you know."
"Setting Bai Lin aside, Mikoto has already awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. She's at least as strong as a jōnin. No matter how talented Minato Namikaze is, surpassing her won't be easy."
The power of the Sharingan went without saying. If Minato Namikaze's only outstanding talent was his reflexes, then against the Sharingan, that alone wouldn't be enough—especially against the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Just then, Might Duy shook out his heavy-feeling arms and swept his gaze over the crowd. His face once again lit up with a fiery smile. "Anyone else want to challenge me? The battle of youth never stops! The Three Inner Gates take a lot out of me, but as long as someone's willing to fight, I'll take them on!"
Everyone's eyes turned to Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto. They were the only two who hadn't taken the stage yet.
Kushina immediately jumped forward, excited. She planted her hands on her hips and called out with her chin raised, "Duy, I'll challenge you!"
Then she turned to Bai Lin, her eyes alight with excitement and anticipation. "Big Brother Lin, I'll show you how hard I've been working these past few days!"
Looking at the fighting spirit in the girl's eyes, Bai Lin smiled and nodded. He went to the edge of the stage and announced, "Youth Duel, third round: challenger Kushina Uzumaki, defender Might Duy. The rules are unchanged. Stop when your opponent is beaten; no attacks on vital points."
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Challenger Kushina Uzumaki, defender Might Duy—the third round of the Youth Duel begins!"
Before the announcement had even ended, Kushina shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow!
"Ha! Youth never backs down!" A trace of seriousness flashed in Might Duy's eyes. Though his body was tired, his stubborn refusal to give up still drove him into battle.
After five minutes of fierce fighting, Might Duy finally ran out of strength.
Bai Lin promptly stepped forward and held Might Duy down as he tried to get back up. He announced, "The winner of the third round is the challenger, Kushina Uzumaki! The new defender is Kushina Uzumaki!"
Might Duy had already spent too much energy fighting Minato. Kushina had now learned the Rasengan—and she had also learned the Shadow Clone.
She had completely replicated Naruto's fighting style, making full use of the Uzumaki Clan's vast Chakra reserves.
Her Shadow Clones kept her opponent occupied while she attacked with the Rasengan. At this point, she was even harder to deal with than Minato Namikaze.
Gasping for breath, Might Duy was helped aside by Bai Lin to rest. He still grinned and gave a thumbs-up. "That's what youth is all about! Looks like I haven't worked hard enough. I'll have to double my training from now on."
Kushina raised her chin proudly and turned to Bai Lin, her eyes shining with anticipation of praise. "Big Brother Lin, I didn't disappoint you, did I?"
"You did great, Kushina. Thumbs-up from me." Bai Lin ruffled her red hair, his voice full of approval.
It really was a fighting style that would be hard for anyone to imitate. Even he couldn't do it.
Bai Lin knew his Chakra reserves were nowhere near Kushina's. Using Shadow Clones alongside high-cost jutsu would only put him at a disadvantage. Only someone with the Uzumaki Clan's massive Chakra reserves could sustain both Shadow Clones and the Rasengan at once.
After all, the Rasengan consumed more Chakra than his Lightning Style: Chidori.
Kushina's Rasengan wasn't very polished. Her shaping time and Chakra density were both inferior to Minato Namikaze's. But she made up for it with her deep reserves; even after releasing it several times in a row, she still had plenty left. That was her greatest natural advantage.